In The Arms Of Another
by LoveOrTorture
Summary: Katie Warren thought she had found her one true love in Joshua Harter, also known as TNA wrestler Chris Sabin. But when the unexpected occurs, she finds herself being comforted by the person closest to him. Chris Sabin/OC Alex Shelley/OC
1. Chapter 1: Fall To Pieces

**Chapter One: Fall To Pieces**

"Fuck!"

Katie Warren was taken back by the tone of Patrick Martin's voice roaring from the kitchen and into the living room. She had heard him lose his temper before, but for some reason, this time it sounded like he had completely lost it. Glancing over at her boyfriend and Patrick's best friend, Joshua Harter, she frowned.

"What's up with him now?"

"Hard telling," Josh scoffed as he refused to take his eyes off the glow of the TV in front of them.

Katie shrugged unknowingly and leaned back into Josh, wrapping her arms around his waist. It was times like this that she loved having Josh as a boyfriend. He had everything she was looking for in a man: Caring, compassionate, loving, sincere, positive, and oozing with a dry sense of humor. She was extremely lucky to have met him after an Impact taping nine months ago, considering the fact that many of the wrestlers did not converse with the fans afterward. But Josh was the exception. The second she lay eyes on him, she knew he was something special. And the moment he asked for her number would live in her memory as the beginning of a long lasting relationship with him.

Patrick, treading heavily into the living room with a disgruntled and stunned look plastered on his face, woke Katie out of her thoughts.

"She broke up with me!"

"What?" Josh finally looked away from the screen and stared up at his friend.

"You heard me! Stephanie broke up with me!"

"Dude! What for?"

"Well, she said that after two years together, I wasn't making time or effort to take our relationship to the next level."

"What level is that?" Josh chuckled. "Marriage?"

"Yeah. And you know how I feel about that. I'm not ready for that step yet. She knew that. But she's been pestering me about marrying her for the past three months."

"Then maybe it's best that you two break up," Katie interjected. "It's obvious that she's only thinking about what she wants and is refusing to hear your wants and needs."

"Yeah, I guess so," Patrick walked back into the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the refrigerator. "But she was the love of my life. She meant the world to me. Two years of my life I spent with her."

Patrick walked back into the room and sat on the edge of the coffee table, facing Katie and Josh. Popping open the top, he took a quick swig.

"I thought things were going great between us. I thought she was happy the way we were. But I guess not."

Katie bit her lower lip as she watched Patrick sigh deeply and run his hand through his thick, black locks. It hurt her to see her friend this distressed. He was obviously taking the news harder than she and Josh thought he would.

"Dude, you're better off without her," Josh waved Patrick's now ex-girlfriend off. "There are plenty of other women who would kill to be with you."

"Yeah, but none of them will ever come close to being the woman Stephanie was," Patrick despondently spoke, pinching the bridge of his nose. Feeling tears begin to well up in his eyes, he got up.

"I'm going to my room."

Patrick quickly retreated, leaving Katie and Josh alone with their thoughts. Katie shook her head in disbelief and glanced at her boyfriend.

"Can you believe that? How the hell could she have done that to him? She meant the world to him. He treated her like a fucking princess, and this is how she repays him?"

"Some women are like that," Josh shook his head. "They want what they want, when they want it. And they try to pressure us to do things we don't want to do. And when us men don't take note, they bail on us."

"Do I do that to you?" Katie raised an eyebrow. "You know. Pressure you to do things you don't want to?"

"No," Josh shook his head and smiled. "You don't. And I love you for that. You accept me for who I am and don't try to change the things you don't like in me."

He planted a kiss on Katie's cheek before returning his eyes back to the TV. Katie returned the favor before getting off the couch and addressing Josh.

"I'm going to check on Pat."

Katie walked away and up the stairs to Patrick's room. Granted, she and Patrick had their ups and downs as friends. They had a mutual love-hate friendship. But regardless of that fact, Katie couldn't help but feel for him whenever something awful happened to him. She knew deep down in her heart that Patrick didn't deserve what Stephanie did to him. He was the most thoughtful and considerate boyfriend you could find. And that was certainly shocking to know, considering that as Alex Shelley, TNA superstar, he didn't have the best demeanor.

Katie softly knocked on the door and stepped inside. She found Patrick sitting up against the left side of the bed, listening to the radio with a picture of Stephanie in his hands.

"I just came up to see if you're okay."

She slowly made her way over to Patrick and sat down next to him. Patrick spoke, his voice quivering.

"I don't know how I'm going to live without her. She was my everything. She was the reason I got up in the morning and went to bed at night. She was the best thing that happened to me in a long time."

Katie watched as tears fell from Patrick's face and onto the picture he held.

"I'm sorry, Patrick. I wish there was something I could do to ease your pain."

Patrick sat in silence for several seconds, unable to speak. He stared at the picture before him before throwing it at the wall and sending the glass frame into a million pieces. His pain suddenly turned to anger.

"I swear, I'm never dating another woman ever again! Especially after what that bitch did to me! She wants to dump me because I won't marry her and marry a man she fell in love with while she was with me?"

"She cheated on you?" Katie was taken back. "You didn't mention that."

"Yeah, I didn't want to think about it. That's why I didn't say anything. But I can't help it that I want to go find the asshole who stole her away from me and kick his motherfucking ass!"

Patrick reached into his pocket and took out a cigarette and a lighter. He lit up the cancer stick and began puffing away.

"You know what? You guys are right. To hell with that whore and her fucking douchebag! I hope to God Karma kicks her in the ass!"

Tears once again began to fall, but Patrick wiped them away before Katie could see them. She didn't know what to say. Even if she did say something, it wouldn't help ease Patrick's hurt. The only thing she could do was wrap her arms around him and kiss him on the cheek.

"You know that if there's anything you need, Josh and I are here for you, right?"

"Yeah. I know."

Katie got up and left Patrick to himself. She walked back downstairs and into the living room, where Josh was still sitting watching his MMA fight. He wrapped his arm around her as she sat down next to him.

"You missed it, babe."

"Missed what?"

"Shogun just knocked out Silva with 3:27 left to go in the third round."

"Nice," Katie nodded, uninterested in the least bit about the fight. She was more concerned about Patrick's emotional state. "Look, Josh, I'm worried about Patrick."

"What do you mean?" Josh turned his attention to her. "He'll be alright."

"No. He's really upset. There's no doubt that Stephanie was his world. He adored her. Now that she's gone, I don't know how he'll begin to pick up the pieces and move on."

"Patrick's a strong guy, Katie. And I don't mean just physically. There have been several girls who have broken up with him, and he got along just fine afterward."

"Yeah, but Stephanie was cheating on him," Katie came clean. "And she's getting married to the guy because he wants to get married and Patrick doesn't."

"Are you serious?" Josh's jaw dropped.

"Yeah. He's really upset, Josh. We're really going to have to be there for him, at least until he feels like he can move on."

"I guess so."

Josh got up and turned off the television.

"Well, I'm hitting the sack early. You coming along?"

Josh held out his hand, and Katie took it. He led her upstairs to his room, but not before he stopped by Patrick's room to check in on him.

"Hey, bro. I'm heading to bed. I'll see you in the a.m.."

"Night, man," Patrick muttered, sitting in the same position as he was before.

Josh closed the door and continued down the hallway, still holding on to Katie's hand.

"You're right," Josh shook his head sadly. "He's really despondent. We're really going to have to help him out."

"Just like I said," Katie responded as they reached their bedroom. "He's really hurt. It's going to be hard for him to get back into the swing of things."

"Yeah, well, as long as we're here for him, he'll be fine," Josh replied as he stripped down to his boxer briefs and crawled into bed. "But for now, how about you and I engage in some sweet love?"

"Josh, I can't believe you are thinking of that when there's a man across the hallway who just had his heart broken," Katie shook her head as she climbed into bed next to him.

"Oh, come on. Don't tell me we're not having sex just because of Pat?"

"My mind's not into it right now, Josh. My mind is with Pat. Sorry, baby."

Katie pecked Josh lightly on the lips before turning over and shutting off the lamp.

"Night, baby. Love you."

"Love you too, Katie."

Josh remained sitting against the headboard in the dark, staring directly into space. Granted, Patrick's heart was broken. But there was nothing he or Katie could do to change that. He knew that she was just being a good friend to Pat, but why was she making such a deal about it? He would be back to his normal self before they knew it. Shrugging his shoulders, Josh lay down and positioned himself behind Katie. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her lightly on the shoulder.

Katie tried to go to sleep, but her mind continuously went back to Patrick. She knew that Josh was a bit perturbed with her being worried about Pat's emotional state. But Josh knew that she was just being a good friend. Katie couldn't help but be worried about people when they got their heart broken. Compassion and comfort were part of her personality. She didn't like to see anyone suffer, no matter what she thought of him or her.

She waited until Josh fell asleep before getting out of bed and checking in on Patrick one last time. Her heart broke into a million pieces as her eyes beheld the sight before her.

Patrick was lying on the floor, his back facing her. He was quietly sobbing, mumbling to himself as he cried. Katie couldn't make out what he was saying, but it sounded like he was telling himself to get over Stephanie. Tears sprung in Katie's eyes. She couldn't allow Patrick to do this to himself.

Without knocking, Katie walked in and sat down next to Patrick. She gathered him in her arms and softly rocked him as he sobbed.

"Why did she have to break my heart? What did I do wrong?" Patrick incoherently spoke.

"It's not your fault, Patrick. It's hers. She wouldn't know Prince Charming even if he fell into her lap. You don't deserve what she did to you. God knows you loved her unconditionally. I know what it's like to love somebody so much only to be cheated on in the end. It's not easy. But eventually, your heart will heal and you'll move on."

Patrick sat up and wiped away his tears. For the first time that night, he smiled, although the smile was minuscule and cheerless. He hugged Katie tightly and whispered to her.

"Thanks, Katie."

"Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be alright," Patrick nodded, "once I go to bed."

He helped Katie up and hugged her once more before he said goodnight. Leaving the room and shutting the door softly behind her, she stood silent outside his room, pondering whether Patrick was just lying to her to make her feel better, or whether he really was going to be okay after all.


	2. Chapter 2: Suspicious Mind

**Chapter Two: Suspicious Mind **

"Morning, sweetheart."

A kiss on the cheek and the smell of bacon and eggs awoke Katie. She sat up as Josh placed a plate of breakfast in front of her.

"Aww, you didn't have to do this."

"But I wanted to," Josh smiled sweetly at her. "You deserve breakfast in bed every once in a while."

He sat beside her and watched as she began eating her eggs. His face lit up at the sight of Katie savoring every bite. She had always told him he was a good cook, more so than she was. And her face was testimony to that.

Katie stuck her fork into a piece of egg and held it out for Josh to eat. She hated to be stingy when it came to him cooking her food. She wanted to give him the opportunity to take pleasure in the fruits of his labor as well.

"Is Patrick awake?" Katie asked as Josh swallowed his food.

"No. He's still in bed. I checked in on him after I got up."

"I'm surprised he fell asleep. I thought he would have stayed up all night thinking about Stephanie."

"Can we please not mention her name anymore?"

Josh and Katie glanced over and saw Patrick leaning against the doorway.

"Hey, bro. How you feel?"

"Pretty good," Patrick managed a smile. "I did a lot of thinking last night in bed and I came to the realization that I can't allow Stephanie's infidelity to have control over my life. And as much as it's going to hurt, I'm ready to move on."

"I'm glad to hear that," Katie smiled at him.

"Yeah," Josh nodded. "Hey, maybe we could hit the town tonight and see if we can find you another woman."

"No thanks," Patrick frowned. "I think I'll enjoy being single for a while. I forgot what that actually feels like."

"Yeah, well whatever you do, don't go back to your old ways and start up with your friends with benefits concept," Josh chuckled. "I mean, I know you love sex and all, but there's no reason for that kind of behavior."

"Please," Patrick rolled his eyes. "I haven't done anything like that since before I met Steph…I mean, you-know-who."

"So you're going to be okay?" Katie worried once more.

"Yes," Patrick gave a firm answer. "I may have a moment every once in a while, but I'm back to being the good old me. So you don't have to worry anymore, Katie."

"I can't help but be concerned about you, Pat. You're like a brother to me."

"I know, and I appreciate it. I really do. But it's over. It's done. I'm moving on, end of story. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go downstairs and fix myself up a big bowl of oatmeal, some scrambled eggs, and a tall glass of orange juice."

"It looks like he really is ready to move on," Katie addressed Josh after Patrick left. "The sparkle is starting to come back in his eyes."

"Yeah, and the big breakfast he's having is proof of that. He hardly eats when he's depressed or upset."

"Still, though, this may be all an act to keep us from worrying about him."

"Katie, quit being negative," Josh shook his head. He hated it when she saw pessimism in any situation. He was a positive person who always saw the glass half-full. Negativity had no place in his life. "I know Pat, and if he says he's going to be okay, then he's going to be okay. If he needs our help, he'll ask. But for now, let's just be glad that he realizes he deserves better and wants to move on to greener pastures."

Katie snickered.

"Greener pastures? Where did that phrase come from?"

"Just shut up and finish your breakfast before I finish it for you," Josh teased, shoving Katie's head to the side.

* * *

The afternoon came. Patrick and Josh had gone to the gym, leaving Katie home alone, much to her content. She loved being around the guys, but every so often, she needed a break from all the craziness that they brought into their lives.

With nothing to do, Katie decided to take a long bubble bath to unwind and relax. It had been a difficult eighteen hours after finding out about Patrick and Stephanie. Her heart still hurt for Pat, but she couldn't mull over it any longer. He seemed eager to move on and leave everything in the past. And if he could do it, then so could she.

She lay her head back on the spa pillow and closed her eyes. The warmth of the water and the bubbles from the water jets slowly caused her to fall asleep. All was quiet until she heard the ringing of the kitchen telephone. Opening her eyes, Katie pondered whether to answer it or not. She finally decided to let it ring and allow the answering service to respond. She didn't want to move from the coziness of the tub.

Once again, she began to fall asleep. But it was short lived as she heard the slamming of the front door. The guys were back home. Katie sighed deeply. Her mini spa experience had come to an end.

She dried off, slipped into a tank top and shorts, and rushed downstairs. To her surprise, she saw Patrick, but no Josh.

"Where's Josh?"

"He said something about catching lunch," Patrick replied as he stuffed his mouth with a banana. "He said he would be back in about an hour or so."

"Oh."

Patrick made his way over to the couch and sat down. Katie sat down alongside him as he grabbed the remote and began switching through the channels. She sat in silence, thinking deeply while twirling her ponytail in her hand. There was a question she wanted to ask Patrick for the past few weeks, but couldn't find the time. Now was the best time to ask.

"Hey, Patrick?"

"Hmm?"

"Has Josh been acting different lately?"

"What do you mean?" Patrick asked as he began watching a VH1 countdown of the 100 greatest 80's rock bands.

"Well, it's just that for the past couple of weeks, he's been going out of his way for me. He's been making me breakfast in bed, taking me out on expensive dates, and even buying flowers and expensive jewelry for me. That's not like him. I mean, he's not the most romantic guy in the world, but it's not like he's tried before."

"Maybe he's just trying to show you how much he's invested in your relationship."

"Maybe. He may show it when it comes to gifts and all that, but when it comes to his feelings, he's been kind of distant. We haven't had sex in over three weeks. He hardly ever tells me he loves me anymore. And lately, he's been a bit snippy with me. He even got after me earlier for worrying so much about you."

"He's just been busy working through his injury," Patrick explained. "I mean, It's not easy for him to be out with a concussion. You know how much wrestling means to him. And we have our big tag team championship match coming up next month. He has his career on his mind right now, Katie. But that doesn't mean he loves you any less."

"I don't know," Katie shook her head. "I still think something's going on."

"You're being paranoid," Patrick lightly shoved her on the shoulder. "That man loves you to death. And I know for an absolute fact that there isn't anything he wouldn't do for you. I also know that he would never do anything to hurt you. If you are so concerned, why don't you talk to him about it?"

Katie thanked Patrick for his advice before getting up and walking to the phone. Dialing Josh's cell phone, she waited for him to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me."

"Hey Katie."

Katie was taken back by his response. Josh usually replied by calling her baby or sweetheart. It was the first time he called her by her name over the phone.

"Um, so I was wondering when you were going to be home?"

"Um, I might be another hour or so. I'm here at The Pier eating. Why?"

"Well, because I…"

A woman's laughter could be heard, followed by Josh laughing.

"Josh, who's that?"

"Oh, that's just one of Petey's lady friends. I ran into her at the gym and she invited me to lunch."

"Oh."

"You're not upset, are you? Because if you are, then…"

"No, no! I'm fine with it!" Katie shrugged, indifferent. "I was just hoping we could talk later because there's something on my mind I need to express."

"Well, Patrick's there, isn't he? Maybe you should talk to him about it."

"Actually, it's about us. But, if you don't want to talk about it, then that's fine."

Katie's conduct went from content to instant irritation. Never had he expressed to her that she should talk to Patrick about her problems. It was pretty obvious to her at that point that he wasn't interested in what she had to say. Josh seemed more in tune to the woman he was eating with instead, considering the fact that he was talking to her more than he was talking to Katie.

"What's wrong, Katie?"

"Nothing. I'll just talk to Patrick about it."

"Katie, I…"

She didn't even give Josh a chance to finish. She slammed down the receiver and let out a frustrated groan.

"What happened?" Patrick called out from the living room.

"He's so busy chatting it up with one of Petey's lady friends that he doesn't even have the time to talk to me."

"Petey's lady friend?" Patrick asked, confused by her statement. "He told me that he was going to have lunch with his brother."

"What?"

"Yeah, he told me right before he left that he was going to The Pier to eat lunch with Dan."

"Well, then what's he doing with one of Petey's friends?"

It didn't add up in Katie's mind. Why would Josh tell Patrick one thing, but then tell her something totally different? Unless he lied about it because he didn't want Katie finding out about his lunch meeting with the woman she heard over the phone.

"Something's not right," Katie exclaimed once more. "I can feel it."

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the message light flashing. Pushing the button, she stood still and listened to the message that was left by a woman.

_Hey, Josh, it's me. I was wondering if you didn't have anything to do tonight that we could hang out. Call me and let me know what your plans are. Bye._

Listening to her voice, Katie instantly matched it up to the woman she heard talking over the phone. Katie didn't mind Josh having girls as friends. In fact, Katie knew who they were and was friends with most of them. But the woman she heard on the answering machine and over the phone she didn't know. If the woman really was one of Petey's friends, then she really had no need to worry. After all, most of Petey's friends were Josh's as well. But if Josh lied to her about that, then she knew something was up. Either way, it was obvious to her that Josh and the woman were close friends.

But how close was too close?

Needing to clear her mind, she dialed Petey's number, hoping to get some sort of answer from him.

"Yeah, I know her. She's a friend of my wife's. Her name's Niki."

"Well, she left a message asking if they could hang out tonight if he didn't have anything to do. But then, I called him five minutes ago, and she's having lunch with him. Am I being paranoid, or is there something more to their relationship than just being friends?"

"Niki knows you are Josh's girlfriend," Petey explained. "And she's cool with that. She knows her limits. She's just a naturally friendly person, just like Josh. Niki is not the kind of person who would steal another girl's boyfriend. After all, she has a boyfriend of her own and she adores him. Believe me, Katie. You have absolutely nothing to worry about."

Katie breathed a sigh of relief. Petey had brought peace back to her confused mind. And that was something she desperately needed.

"Thanks for clearing that up, Petey. I feel a lot better now."

She hung up and stood in the kitchen, cursing herself for ever thinking that Josh and Niki had anything more than just a friendship. Patrick walked into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and stared at her as he took a drink.

"So? What did Petey say?"

"I have no reason to worry."

"See? What did I tell you? Josh probably lied about her because he thought you would go off the handle about it."

"I did go off the handle, didn't I?" Katie ran a hand through her curly, auburn hair. "I don't know why I overreacted the way I did. I guess I just got jealous over the fact that another woman was having lunch with Josh. I owe him an apology."

Once again, Katie dialed Josh's number. She apologized as soon as he picked up, alerting him of her feelings. Josh genuinely seemed ashamed of the way he acted toward Katie and apologized for his behavior.

"I'll tell you what. How about we go out tonight?"

As much as Katie loved to go out with Josh, she was starting to become tired of it. They seemed to be doing that same thing almost every weekend. She wanted a change of course for once.

"No, that's okay. Maybe we could rent a movie and stay in tonight?"

"Sounds good. Look, I got to go. I'll be home in twenty minutes, okay?"

"Okay. Love you."

"Same here."

Katie hung up, satisfied with his response. Patrick and Petey were right. She was reading too much into Josh's lunch with Niki. Why couldn't her mind believe that there was nothing going on between the two?

She grabbed her car keys and began heading out the front door, but not before Patrick could call out to her.

"Hey! Where you going?"

"To go rent a movie. Josh and I are staying in tonight."


	3. Chapter 3: The Beginning of the End

**Chapter Three: The Beginning of The End **

As Josh had said, he arrived home by the time Katie came back from the video store. Patrick, not wanting to be any inconvenience to the couple and their night in, decided to spend the night at his brother's house. To Katie, it was a good decision spending the night in with Josh. It would give them the opportunity to see where they were in their relationship and what they could do to make it stronger, if anything.

"What movie did you get?" Josh asked as he crashed on the couch.

"Orphan," Katie responded. "I've been wanting to see it since I saw the previews for it. It looks pretty good from what I can tell."

"Yeah, just watch it will have some bullshit plot and a ridiculous ending just like all the other so-called 'horror' movies."

Katie scoffed at Josh's response as she placed the DVD in the player and sat down next to her boyfriend. For the next 30 minutes, they sat in silence watching. Katie sat in anticipation the entire time, hoping that Josh would wrap her in his arms and start making out with her like he usually did when they watched a movie. But Josh was seated at the opposite end of the couch, his legs propped up between the two. He seemed to be putting a distance between them.

Deciding to take the bull by the horns, Katie took advantage. She crawled over to him and kissed him lightly on the cheek before wrapping her arms around him. To her shock, Josh pushed her arms away and continued to ignore her. She tried again, giving him her entire attention. But he wasn't buying it. Once more, he pushed her away.

"Please, Katie. I'm not in the mood."

"But we always cuddle during a movie," Katie pouted. "It just doesn't seem right that we're not close."

"I'm sorry. I just don't feel like it tonight."

The annoyed tone of his voice sent Katie into a fury. She sprung off the couch, shut off the TV and stood before him, scowling at him with her hands on her hips.

"What the fuck gives, Josh? You told me you wanted to spend the evening with me. Yet you are distancing yourself from me."

"I'm just not in the mood," Josh repeated.

"Well, you sure as hell sounded like you were in the mood an hour ago," she pointed out. "What the fuck's going on with you? You're the perfect boyfriend one minute, giving me all the attention in the world. Then the next minute, you're avoiding being intimate with me at all costs!"

Josh sighed deeply, closing his eyes as he spoke.

"You're right, Katie. I'm sorry. I guess I just have a lot going on in my mind lately and I'm taking it all out on you. You don't deserve to be treated this way."

He immediately got up and embraced her.

"I know it must not be easy being away from the ring with your concussion and all," Katie explained. "But I wish you could just tell me what's going on so I could at least try and help."

"Well, unfortunately, there's nothing you can do about my concussion and the impending pay-per-view event," Josh's face showed a hint of sorrow. "And I know that there's nothing I can do to show you how sorry I am about putting you through all this shit. After all, you know how I am when it comes to showing my emotions and all that."

"I know," Katie smiled bleakly. "And you know that I'm the kind of person who will go off the handle about every little thing. I should be more understanding of what you're going through instead of worrying about my needs."

"Look, can we just forget about all this fighting stuff and just salvage our night together?" Josh let go of her and looked deep into her eyes. "I promise not to let anything come between us tonight."

"Okay."

"How about I cook us some dinner? And while I'm doing so, you can go upstairs and change into something more elegant?"

Giving him a peck on the lips, Katie did as she was told and went upstairs to change into a sleek black mini-dress. As she began to apply her makeup, she heard the phone rang. Running downstairs, she stopped short of the phone as Josh grabbed it before her.

"Hello? Oh, hey."

Josh shooed Katie off, alerting her to finish what she began. However, the frantic movement of his hands and the fear in his eyes told Katie that there was something more going on. But she decided to ignore it and walked back upstairs to finish her makeup.

The second Katie was gone from view, Josh spoke, his voice soft yet firm.

"I thought I told you not to call me at home. Yeah, I know you do. Look, I can't talk right now. I'm busy at the moment. Okay, I'll call you in the morning. Bye."

Josh hung up and exhaled deeply. He stood by the phone with his head in his hands. He shouldn't be doing what he was. Eventually, the truth would come out and it would end up hurting the people closest to him. He had no other choice but to come clean with his confession before the situation turned out any worse that it already was.

But tonight was not the time for his confession. Tonight was all about his relationship with Katie. Like he told Katie, nothing would come between the two of them that night.

Josh went back to cooking his fettuccine Alfredo. After dinner was finished, he and Katie sat down and enjoyed the meal before heading off to the bedroom for some one-on-one time. Katie had absolutely no idea of what transpired on the phone, but for Josh, he couldn't keep his mind off it.

His secret finally caught up with him as they began making love.

It was the first time in weeks they had sex, and they couldn't have been more ravenous for it. Instead of taking their time, they decided to just jump into it hot, heavy, and at high-speed. Just as Josh was about to climax, he made the mistake he was hoping not to make.

He called Katie by someone else's name.

The look on Josh's face was pure mortification, whereas the look on Katie's face was one of astonishment and fury. Immediately, she pushed him off her and got up.

"Did you just call me 'Niki'?"

"Katie, honey, I'm sorry," Josh explained.

"Sure you are," she spat back as she began getting dressed. "You called me by the same name as the woman you were having lunch with! What's _really_ going on, Josh? Are you fucking her?"

"What? No!" Josh got up and grabbed a now sobbing Katie. "Believe me, baby, I would NEVER cheat on you! I could never see myself hurting you! You mean too much to me! I guess I've been spending so much time around her that I've grown accustomed to saying her name."

"You're spending time with her?! When you're supposed to be spending time with me?!"

Josh bit his lower lip and winced. Just as he thought, his choice of words were getting him into trouble.

"No! Not all the time! We see each other sometimes at the gym and go out to eat lunch afterward. And she's at Petey's house every so often when I go to visit! It's not like I ask her to be there!"

Katie had had enough of Josh's excuses. Grabbing his pillow and a blanket, she hurled it at him.

"Get out! I don't want to see you or talk to you for the rest of the night!"

"Where am I supposed to sleep?"

"On the couch like any dog!"

Josh, knowing that Katie needed some space to think, grabbed the pillow and blanket and headed downstairs. What Josh did was indeed a big mistake. But another big mistake he made was lying to Katie about his friendship with Niki. Granted, he didn't want to lose his relationship with Katie, but he wanted to be honest with her and tell the truth. Either way, he was fucked. And not in the way he expected.

Meanwhile, Katie was in bed, weeping greatly over what just occurred. She felt as though her world had just come crashing down before her very eyes. Whether or not Josh was telling her the truth didn't matter. The damage had been done. He had called her by another woman's name, thus causing Katie to question his loyalty to her.

Her relationship with Josh had hit a dead end and was on the verge of collapse.


	4. Chapter 4: Something's Up With Josh

**Chapter Four: Something's Up with Josh**

"Katie?"

A knock on the door awoke Katie from her slumber. Sitting up and rubbing her eyes, she answered.

"Pat? Is that you?"

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah."

Patrick entered and immediately took notice of Katie's appearance. Disheveled hair, raccoon eyes, and the forlorn look on her face told him that something happened.

"Why is Josh sleeping on the couch? Did you two have a fight or something?"

He sat at the edge of the bed and silently listened as Katie explained last night's conflict. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets the second he heard about Josh calling her by another name.

"No," Patrick shook his head in disbelief. "He wouldn't do that. Maybe you heard him wrong."

"Believe me, Pat, I know what I heard. He called me Niki."

"Niki?" Pat suddenly stood up. "You mean, he called you by that girl's name?"

Katie nodded in confirmation.

"I knew that I should have listened to my gut. I knew something was going on. I shouldn't have allowed you or Petey to tell me otherwise."

"I'm sure there's nothing going on between them," Patrick answered. "Maybe Josh has been spending so much time with her because he misses what it's like having a girl as a friend."

"I doubt it," Katie rolled her eyes. "I mean, I look at her, and then I look at myself. No wonder Josh wants to hang out with her so much. She has everything I don't. Good looks, sexy body, great personality. I have nothing compared to her."

"Hey!" Patrick stopped her before she could continue. He sat back down and wrapped his arm around her. "Caitlin Marie Warren, that's not true and you know it. Josh loves you because you are kind, compassionate, and overall a beautiful person on the inside. That's all that matters."

"Yeah, whatever."

"I don't want to hear it," Patrick warned her. "I don't know why, but you always put yourself down whenever it comes to you being in your relationship with Josh. Yeah, he knows that you've been in several relationships that ended up with you being cheated on. But that had nothing to do with you. You weren't to blame for your relationships ending."

"If it didn't have anything to do with me, then they wouldn't have cheated on me now, don't you agree?"

Patrick sighed heavily. Katie was really struggling with what happened. He couldn't say he blamed her. But he knew that Josh wasn't the kind of person to cheat. He knew Josh just as much as he knew his own brothers. That's how close the two of them were. They shared everything together. And Patrick knew that if Josh had a problem, then he would be the first to know about it.

He left Katie alone with her thoughts and went downstairs to talk to Josh. He found his friend in the kitchen, eating a bowl of cereal.

"Dude, what's going on?" Patrick questioned as he took a seat.

"Nothing," Josh scoffed.

"Then what was all that commotion that happened last night?"

Josh put down his spoon and pushed the bowl to the side. He bit his lower lip and lowered his head.

"I think I'm falling out of love with Katie."

"You think?" Patrick chuckled in disgust. "Either you love her or you don't. Which is it?"

"I love her. But, sometimes she drives me crazy. She's always talking about how ugly she looks, or how fat she is, no matter how much I tell her otherwise. It's starting to drive me away."

"Is it driving you away to the point that you're cheating on her?"

"What? No! I'm not cheating on her!" Josh spat back, folding his arms in front of him. "God, why is everyone saying I am?"

"Maybe because of all the time you're spending with that Niki girl?" Patrick pointed out. "I mean, it does kind of raise questions."

"I just needed some space from Katie. I needed to think things out regarding our relationship, and Niki was there to listen to my problems," Josh explained. "She's just a friend. Nothing else. She's there for me then I need someone to talk to."

"What about me? Can't you talk to me about it? I mean, come on Josh. We tell each other everything."

"Yeah, but you also end up telling Katie the majority of what we talk about," Josh bitterly spoke, his blue eyes suddenly turning cold. "I don't want her knowing everything that's going on with me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to head to the gym."

"Want me to tag along?"

"No!" Josh angrily answered, pointing a finger at Patrick to stop him. "I'd rather be by myself."

Joshed walked out of the kitchen, leaving Patrick's mind racing with thoughts. For the first time, he was beginning to agree with Katie. Something was up with Josh, and it had to do with his relationship with Niki. From his quick, irritated responses to his body language, Josh was definitely hiding something.

Right then and there, Patrick decided to find out what was going on with Josh. Not just for him, but for Katie. She deserved to know the truth. He was going to get to the bottom of Josh's erratic behavior, no matter what he had to do.

He walked back upstairs and entered Katie's bedroom. Katie was still in bed, but instead of sleeping, she was staring at the ceiling. He spoke softly, not wanting to startle her.

"I think you're right. I think there's more to Josh's friendship with Niki than he's letting on."

"So, I'm not crazy for thinking what I thought?"

"No," Patrick ran a hand through his hair. "You're not. I'm sorry I let you think otherwise."

"So, what now?" Katie asked as she sat up. "How do we know if he's lying about everything he's telling us?"

"There's only one way to find out," Patrick answered before turning around and walking out the room.

He headed back downstairs and sat on the couch, patiently waiting for Josh to leave. Once his friend walked out the front door, Patrick went into action. Grabbing his car keys and a camcorder, he watched as Josh drove away. The second Josh was out of sight, Patrick climbed into his car and sped off. There was only one plan running through his mind, and the plan involved a certain storyline that he used to act out during his early years in TNA.

It was time for Patrick to relive his stint as the cameraman for Paparazzi Productions.

This time, however, it was for real.


	5. Chapter 5: Camera Spy

**Chapter Five: Camera Spy**

Patrick parked his car just short of the gym and watched as Josh entered. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed his camera.

"Showtime."

He made his way to the gym and entered. The lady at the front desk asked for his membership card, as that was the way things were run. After swiping it, she handed it back to him, and he continued on his way.

Patrick, acting on what he learned during his Paparazzi Production days, quietly and swiftly ducked down behind a set of weight pressing machines and searched the area for Josh. After a few minutes, he gave up. There was no sight of Josh anywhere on the first floor.

Perhaps he was on the second floor?

Patrick made his way upstairs, where the indoor track and locker rooms were. Dodging behind a counter, he poked his head out and once again looked for Josh. He wasn't running laps around the track, so the last place to look was the locker room.

Just as Patrick made his way to the locker room door, he heard someone laugh. He instantly knew it was Josh, due to the way he chuckled when he laughed. Turning his camera on, Patrick quietly opened the door and peeked inside.

Josh wasn't anywhere in sight. Patrick quickly made his way inside and over to the first set of lockers. He could hear Josh's voice on the other side, as well as a woman's. Patrick remained frozen as he heard them speak.

"Please, Josh," the woman begged. "I promise, nobody will see us."

"I don't know, Niki," Josh responded.

Patrick's jaw dropped. Katie was right! Focusing his camera, he peeked his head around the corner and pointed it at the two.

"I mean, I would love to take advantage of you in the showers," Josh continued, kissing Niki in between words, "but I can't take that chance even though the sex would be orgasmic, unlike the boring and repetitive sex I've had with Katie."

"Speaking of which, when are you going to dump her sorry ass for me?"

"I promise, Niki, it'll be soon," Josh stopped kissing her. "I just need the perfect time to tell her. But for now, how about we finish what we began?"

Patrick watched in disgust as Josh continued to make out with her. He didn't know whether to throw up from watching the two of them make out, or throw up from Niki's appearance. She had bleach blonde, poker straight hair, was stick thin, and pale as a ghost. Those kind of women were NOT Patrick's kind, and they certainly weren't Josh's kind as well. They both had similar tastes in women. They liked women who had short, dark hair, piercings, wore leather jackets and ripped up band t-shirts and jeans, and had meat on their bones. Not to mention they had to have great breasts and an ass to match. So why in the world would Josh suddenly turn to the women he had absolutely no taste for?

Having seen enough, Patrick left the gym and drove home. The entire way there, he kept wiping tears from his eyes. He couldn't help but feel for Katie. How could his best friend have done this? What did Katie do to deserve that? Katie was the most wonderful, funny, kind, and supportive woman Patrick knew. Yeah, he made fun of her sometimes for her small nose and lips just as much as she made fun of him for his eyes being too close to his nose. But their jokes and quips were part of their friendship, and they both knew that.

Patrick pulled into the driveway shortly around one. Immediately, he sat down on the couch and reviewed the tape. Hatred filled his heart as he watched Josh and Katie make out. There was absolutely no excuse for what Josh had done. Not only had Josh lied to Katie, but he lied to his best friend. It wasn't just Katie that felt deceived, it was Patrick was well.

Patrick rewound the tape and started going upstairs to show Katie what he filmed, but stopped short of the top step. Did he really want to show her the tape? Couldn't he just tell her what he saw and spare her the embarrassment that came with watching the tape?

Before he could make his decision, Katie came out of the bathroom and stopped when she saw him.

"Hey. Where'd you go?"

"I followed Josh," Patrick explained. "I took my camcorder with me to film whatever he was doing."

"And?"

Patrick remained silent. He bit his lower lip as he tried to find the right way to tell Katie the truth. However, his silence was all that Katie needed to know.

"He HAS been cheating on me, hasn't he?"

"I'm sorry, Katie," Patrick sadly looked up at her and shook his head sadly. "I wish I could say otherwise."

He watched as Katie placed her hands on her hips and scoffed. She scowled, looking at the floor the entire time.

"I want to see the tape."

"Katie, I don't think…"

"I SAID…I want…to see…the tape."

"Are…are you sure?"

Katie nodded, glaring at Patrick. Having no other choice, Patrick followed Katie back to her room and sat down on the bed next to her.

"I just want to warn you," Patrick spoke before showing her the tape, "that what you're going to see…"

"Just show me the damn tape."

Patrick nodded and played the video. Katie watched in horror as she witnessed her boyfriend making out with the woman Petey called "a naturally friendly person". Naturally friendly Katie's ass.

Finally, Katie couldn't take any more. She spoke, tears filling her eyes and her voice quivering.

"Turn it off."

Patrick quickly turned off the camcorder and set it down. He placed his hand on Katie's leg as she began to sob.

"Why? Why the FUCK would he do this?! What the FUCK did I do to him to have him go out and cheat on me?!"

Patrick fought back his own tears as Katie continued to sob. He grabbed her and pulled her to him as she broke down. Before long, Patrick found himself crying as well, crying out of sorrow for Katie's broken heart.

"Why, Patrick, why?"

Patrick couldn't answer. All he could do was hold Katie and cry right along with her.


	6. Chapter 6: Altercation

**Chapter Six: Altercation**

Patrick woke up shortly after three with Katie wrapped in his arms. He must have inadvertently fallen asleep next to her while he was trying to comfort her. He wasn't much of a comfort to her, however. She ended up crying herself to sleep. But at least she was safe in his arms.

Slowly moving her off him, he got up and stretched before pulling the blankets over her. He stood there and silently watched her sleep, all while running his fingers through his dark roots. Sighing deeply, he anticipated what was to come when Josh returned. Anger once again set in and for a brief second, he contemplated committing assault on his so called "best friend" the second he saw him. Patrick quivered and bit his lower lip to keep himself from screaming out in rage.

"Patrick?"

Patrick looked to his left and noticed Katie beginning to wake up. He sat at the edge of the bed and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm here, Katie."

"Is Josh back?"

"No," Patrick replied softly, trying to keep Katie from noticing the anger in his voice.

"What time is it?"

"A little after three."

Katie sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"What's going to happen when he gets back?"

"Honestly, I feel like kicking his sorry ass the second I see him," Patrick stated frankly.

"You're not the only one. But, just try and keep your composure if and when we confront him."

"That's going to be hard to do, given the circumstances. But I'll try."

She nodded before getting out of bed and going to the bathroom.

"How do you think he's going to react?" Katie asked while brushing her hair and pulling it back into a ponytail.

"I'm sure he'll try and deny it like he has been. But you can't deny what I captured on video."

From the bathroom came short, subdued sobs. Patrick walked over to Katie and once again comforted her.

"I can't believe it's over," she broke down. "I loved him. And I trusted him. And he ends up doing the thing he said he would NEVER do, because I didn't deserve to be treated that way. Especially after all the relationships in which my exes cheated on me."

"Actions speak louder than words," Patrick responded.

"And what Josh did is proof that his words meant nothing. He probably said that just to ease my mind."

Silence fell among the two. Patrick continued to hug Katie, not wanting to let go. But the faint sound of a car pulling into the driveway forced him to let go and look out the window.

"He's back."

Katie took a deep breath and stared at Patrick.

"I'm scared."

"Don't worry," Patrick calmly spoke. "I got your back."

"I don't want to do this."

Patrick thought for a brief moment before nodding.

"It's okay. You don't have to right now. I'll confront him."

Katie stayed behind as he grabbed his camcorder and made his way downstairs. Josh came in the second Patrick reached the bottom of the step.

"Hey, bro," Josh cheerfully greeted.

Patrick scoffed to himself. Josh was acting as though nothing had happened.

"Hey."

The tone of Patrick's voice immediately resonated with Josh.

"Dude, what's wrong? You sound pissed."

"Yeah, well I have every reason to."

"Who are you mad at?" Josh asked as he sat down on the couch.

"You."

Josh did a double take.

"Me? You're mad at me?"

"Yeah, and so is Katie."

"Now why in the HELL would you two be mad at me for?" Josh laughed.

"For this," Patrick pulled out his camcorder and sat down next to Josh.

"Pat, what…"

"Just shut up and watch."

Patrick played the video while intensely studying Josh's face. There was no expression on his face except the look of shame. His face was as red as a little boy who was caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"So? You have anything to say about that?"

"What the hell were you doing following me?"

"Just answer the damn question, Josh!"

Josh thought for a moment before answering.

"I…I…I don't know what to say."

"Oh, cut the bullshit, Josh!" Patrick shot out of his seat. "You've been cheating on Katie this entire time!"

"The entire time? Dude, I just recently hooked up with her!"

"So you admit it, huh?! You've been fucking around with a blonde bimbo!"

"She is NOT a blonde bimbo!" Josh spat back. "And unlike Katie, who has low self-esteem and constantly doesn't believe me when I tell her anything positive about her, Niki KNOWS that she's wanted! God knows I've shown Katie that she's wanted. But no matter what I do, her damn self-confidence and self-esteem gets in the way. She believes what her brain is telling her, not her heart!"

"Dude, do you not remember all the times she was cheated on by her exes?!" Patrick glared at Josh. "Of course her self-esteem's going to be low! But if you are the great boyfriend you think you are, you would have stood by her side and helped her through it, NOT turn your back on her like some uncaring idiot!"

"So, are you telling me that if you were dating her, you would put up with all that bullshit?"

Patrick nodded.

"If she were my girlfriend, I would do anything to help her! She doesn't deserve the shit you're putting her through!"

"Just like I don't deserve the shit she's putting me through! She gets what she deserves!"

Patrick screamed out in anger. What the fuck was going on inside his best friend's head?

"What the fuck has this bitch Niki been feeding to your brain?!"

Josh's face instantly turned red with fury. He stepped up to Patrick and glared into his eyes.

"Say that again. I DARE you!"

"Niki's a bleach blonde, dim-witted, whorish bitch!"

Without warning, Patrick found himself shoved against the wall by Josh.

"How the FUCK would you know! You've never met her!"

"All I need to know about her I videotaped on my camcorder," Patrick retorted. "And what I thought I knew about you isn't true anymore. You've gone from an absolute gentlemen to an absolute asshole!"

Before Josh could inflict any damage to Patrick, Katie came rushing in.

"Back the FUCK off of him!"

Josh immediately let go of Patrick and turned to Katie. His demeanor suddenly changed from a man of anger to a man of repentance.

"Katie, honey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do it. I don't know what I was thinking!"

"Save it for your funeral, Harter!"

Katie's sudden outburst came as an absolute shock to Josh. Never had he seen her this angry and audacious.

"I trusted you," Katie continued on, her voice low and malicious. "And you betrayed me. You know what? I knew you were too good to be true. No man is ever as nice to a woman as you were to me. You just used me for your sick pleasure. Well guess what? The game's over. And I'm the one who's ending it, not you."

"Katie, I did love you," Josh's voice quivered. For the first time, he was showing true emotion. "I never expected it to turn out this way. I wasn't thinking, baby. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well not as sorry as I am for putting up with your bullshit these past few weeks. It's too late to cry, Josh. You just lost the best thing in your life, and unfortunately, you won't realize that until I'm long gone and with a man who loves me for who I am, faults and all."

Patrick watched in shock as Katie stood her ground. His eyes then focused on Josh, who had a single solitary tear rolling down his face.

"I'm packing my things, and I'm leaving," Katie responded. "And I don't ever want to see your sorry face again."

Katie walked back upstairs, leaving Josh frozen. Patrick walked up to him and stared him in the face.

"If she's leaving, then I'm leaving too. I don't want to share a home with a backstabbing asshole. Not only did you ruin your relationship with Katie, but you just ruined your friendship with me. Don't come back to us crawling on your hands and knees begging for forgiveness when karma bites you in the ass, because what goes around comes around."

Patrick gave Josh the middle finger salute before pointing it at him and shooting it like a gun. He then turned around and followed Katie upstairs.

Josh collapsed on the couch and held his head in his hands. There was no doubt about it now. He had fucked up, big time.

But not only did it cost him Katie, it cost him his friendship with Patrick as well.


	7. Chapter 7: Goodbye

**Thanks to everyone who has given me their feedback! It is truly appreciated and it makes my day every time!**

**Chapter Seven: Goodbye**

For the next two days, Patrick and Katie packed their bags. Josh had left the house shortly after the blow-up and stayed at his brother's house, leaving the duo in peace for the time remaining. Patrick was glad Josh was gone. They didn't need any more drama.

By the time Sunday came around, their bags were packed, and Josh was back home. The morning was silent as Josh sat on the couch watching TV, while Patrick and Katie loaded their belongings into the back of Patrick's Dodge Dakota. After loading everything, Patrick walked back upstairs and into the room that Katie once shared with Josh.

"Is that it?" Patrick asked, wiping several beads of sweat away from his forehead.

"Yeah. That's everything. How about you?"

"I'm good to go," he responded.

He watched silently as Katie spent her last remaining minutes in the room. She looked around one last time before sighing deeply.

"Should we go tell Josh that we're leaving?"

"Might as well."

The two made their way downstairs. Josh was still positioned on the couch the same way he was when he first sat down. Without looking up, Josh spoke.

"See ya."

"That's it?" Patrick scoffed. "No 'I'm sorry', no 'Can't we talk about this'?"

"What's there to talk about?" Josh glumly answered. "I ruined everything. You have every right to leave. But I hope that one day we can put this behind us and become friends again."

"Maybe."

Patrick exited the house, leaving Katie alone with her now ex-boyfriend. To Katie's surprise, Josh got up out of his seat and faced her.

"So this is it, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Look, I know that you may never believe me, but I'm sorry for everything I put you through. I should have been honest with you from the beginning and told you how I really felt instead of hiding my feelings and cheating on you."

"It's too late for that, Joshua," Katie's voice trembled as she spoke. "I gave you all that I had. The least you could do is return the favor. But I guess I just wasn't good enough for you."

"No, it's not you. It's me," Josh confessed. "God knows you did everything right in our relationship. I guess I just felt that I wasn't good enough for you. And what I told Patrick, about you driving me away because of your negative self-image, I lied. I just felt as though there was nothing I could do to help you see otherwise, hence me believing that I wasn't good for you. I wanted to help you, Katie. I really did. But I didn't know what to do. I'm usually the one who people come to when they need a problem resolved. But this was the first problem I didn't know how to work out."

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry I made you feel that way," Katie softly spoke as a single tear escaped her eyes.

"You shouldn't be sorry for anything. I'm the one who should be sorry. And I am. I hope one day you can believe me."

Katie nodded as she wiped away her tear. She began to turn around and walk away, but without warning, she felt Josh's hand spin her back around. He bit his lower lip and looked at her with agony in his eyes.

"Can I have a hug?"

Katie reluctantly opened her arms and embraced him. Josh tightly gripped her and whispered in her ear softly.

"Please, whatever you do, don't forget what we once had."

Josh let go of her and watched as she walked out the door without saying goodbye. For the first time, it suddenly hit him. He had just lost the best thing that had ever happened to him. Tears stung his eyes as he collapsed on the couch, began to sob, and cursed himself for his adolescent pranks.

Meanwhile, Katie got into the passenger seat of Patrick's truck and spoke flatly.

"Let's go."

Without looking back, the duo began their travel. They didn't know where they were going, or where they were going to stay. All they wanted was to be away from Josh and his house of horrors.


	8. Chapter 8: The Journey Home

**Chapter Eight: The Journey Home**

Patrick didn't speak a word to Katie as he was driving. He remained quiet, giving Katie some space to think. He was sure she didn't want to discuss what she had endured the past few days.

Katie was glad for the silence. She didn't feel much like conversing with Patrick, even though it might have released herself from all the emotions she was experiencing.

With the tank nearly empty, Patrick stopped for gas. Katie waited in silence as he swiped his credit card and pumped the gas. The only thing she could think about right now was rest. That, and when and what she was going to eat.

Climbing back into his truck, Patrick fastened his seat belt and started the engine. Without looking at Katie, he spoke.

"We should eat somewhere."

"I don't care," Katie spoke softly. "Wherever you want to go is fine with me."

"There's a Subway just down the road. Want to go there?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

Patrick drove two miles down the road and stopped at Subway. Just like it was during the ride, the environment at Subway was quiet. Neither refused to speak a word.

But once again, the mold was broken as they continued on their way. As Patrick pulled out of Subway, he spoke, staring Katie in the eyes.

"I guess we'll have to stay at a hotel tonight."

"Yeah, about that," Katie bowed her head. "I think it's best if I stay with my parents. I just don't want much company. I hope that's okay with you."

"No, that's fine," Patrick responded. "Actually, that's a better idea than staying at a old, dirty, cheap hotel."

"What about you?"

"Me? Well, I guess I could crash at my parents' house before I go looking for an apartment. I don't have very many places to stay, either."

Katie nodded before turning her attention back to the road. Granted, staying with her parents was better than staying in a hotel. But it was something that she wasn't looking forward to. She and her parents had a complicated relationship. It was love/hate. Between her father's drinking and her mother's nagging and constant involvement in anything she wasn't part of, Katie wasn't sure if she could survive the environment. But it would have to do until she could find a place to live.

"So, where do your parents live?"

"Um," Katie was broken out of her daze, "they live about twenty minutes from here. Just take the next exit west and it will lead you there."

Patrick did as she said and took the exit west. With the exception of the radio playing, all was quiet. That was, until they finally reached Katie's neighborhood.

"Go down two streets, and turn right. Then keep going until you reach the "Rolling Hills" subdivision. Turn left at the sign."

Following her directions, he drove in that direction.

"Which house is it?"

"It's five houses down, on the right. See that burgundy car in the driveway?"

Patrick nodded.

"That's my mom's car."

Carefully turning his car into the driveway, Patrick reached his first destination: Katie's childhood residence. Shutting off the motor, he got out and took a look at the exterior of the house. Brick on the first level, and beige aluminum siding on the second. A white railing surrounded the porch, with beautiful, colorful flowers adorning the ground around it.

"Nice place," Patrick complimented.

"Yeah, I guess so," Katie shrugged as she walked up the steps and knocked on the door.

As Patrick unloaded her things from the back of his truck, Katie waited for an answer at the door. After about thirty seconds, her mother emerged from the house.

"Katie! Honey, what are you doing here?" Her mother greeted as the two embraced.

"Well, um," Katie stumbled, trying to find the right words to tell her mother. "Actually, mom, I need a place to stay for a while."

"Why? What happened?" Her mother's face suddenly turned grim. "Did you and Josh have a fight?"

"Actually, we broke up," Katie corrected her. "I moved out, and I need a place to stay."

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry," she once again hugged her daughter. "Of course you can stay here!"

Patrick walked up to the porch and set down Katie's possessions. Katie watched as her mother looked puzzlingly at the stranger.

"Oh, mom, this is Patrick. He's Josh's friend who was living with us."

"_WAS_ his friend," Patrick pointed out. "Until he broke your daughter's heart. I offered to give her a ride here, since I'm moving out as well."

"Oh, well, pleasure to meet you, Patrick. I'm Linda, Katie's mom," Linda shook his hand before turning to Katie. "What does he mean Josh broke your heart?"

"I'll tell you about it later," Katie answered as Patrick went for the rest of her things. "I don't want to talk about it now."

"What did he do? I want to know."

"I told you, mom, I don't want to talk about it now," Katie harshly answered, glaring at her.

"Did he say or do anything to hurt you?"

"No, mom."

"Was he not spending time with you? Was he gone all the time? Was he distant with you or what?"

"No."

"Did he cheat on you?" Linda continued.

Katie refused to answer. The refusal gave Linda all she needed to know.

"He cheated on you, didn't he? Didn't he?"

"Okay, yes!" Katie finally gave in, sighing in frustration at her mother's questioning. "Yes! He cheated on me! There! Are you happy now?"

"No, I'm not happy," Linda scowled as Patrick came back and set down the last of Katie's things. He stood there in silence as the two had a heated argument.

"What kind of inconsiderate jerk is he? How long has this been going on? Weeks? Months? Who's he cheating on you with?"

"It's none of your business, mom!" Katie snapped back. "I can handle this on my own!"

"Like hell you can! Ugh! I have the mind to go over there right now and give him a piece of my mind!"

"And what is that going to accomplish, mom? Huh?" Katie had finally had enough. "It's over, and it's done with. I'm moving on, end of story! Just do me a favor and NEVER speak of it again!"

Patrick remained tight lipped as Katie lashed out. Finally giving up, Linda walked back into the house, but not before having one last word with her daughter.

"This is not over, Katie. Mark my words. Eventually, he's going to come back on his hands and knees begging for forgiveness. What are you going to do then? Take him back? Believe me. It's not over. Not by a long shot."

Linda shut the door behind her, leaving Patrick and Katie alone on the front porch. Falling to the porch steps, Katie sighed heavily before biting her lower lip and closing her eyes.

"I knew coming here was a bad idea," Katie began to cry. "I knew she'd try and get involved."

"She's just looking out for you," Patrick sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around her. "It may seem a bit much, but she has your best interest in mind."

"That's not what I'm talking about," Katie responded, wiping away the tears that continued to fall down her crimson cheeks. "She always does this! Every time something like this happens, she gets involved, makes decisions for me, and everything turns out worse! It's like she doesn't think I can handle my own life issues, so she takes over and fucks everything up even more! She's always meddling in my affairs! Even my dad's told her to stay out of my problems and let me deal with them on my own. It's like she has this control issue over me!"

Patrick sighed. He didn't think of Linda that way. Of course, he had only met her for five minutes, so who was he to judge?

"I'll tell you what," he let go of Katie and stared straight in her eyes. "If it ever gets any worse, and if you can't be around your mother anymore, let me know. You can stay with me, okay?"

"Thanks, Pat."

They embraced one last time before Patrick got up and dusted his jeans off.

"Well, I better get going. It's an hour drive to my parents' house. I'll call you later to see how you're doing."

With that, Patrick got into his truck and drove off. Katie sat there on the porch step, silently wishing that Patrick didn't have to go so soon. She needed somebody there to help her get through whatever trials and tribulations she was going to be in with her family. The main reason she moved out of her parents' house when she was 18 was to escape all the drama and conflict. How was she going to endure this time living with her family if history was doomed to repeat itself?


	9. Chapter 9: Unexpected Occurence

**Chapter Nine: Unexpected Occurrence**

For the next couple days, Katie kept to herself in her room. She dared not to go downstairs, for fear that her mother would question the hell out of her about Josh and upset her to the point that an fight would arise.

Katie's father knew about what happened from her mother. But like he always did before, he stayed out of her personal affairs. He knew that if she needed help that she would come to him and ask. He even ordered her mother to back off and allow Katie some time to heal, although they both knew as stubborn and hard-headed as Linda was, she wouldn't listen to reason.

In order to erase Josh completely from her life, Katie spent the days throwing out photos, music, and other personal belongings that reminded her of him. She also deleted him as a friend on her myspace, blocked his e-mail address so he couldn't message her, and deleted his number from her phone.

Deleting his number from her phone did little to help, because Josh would call or text Katie at least four times a day. However, she would just simply delete his messages and ignore his calls. There wasn't anything he could do or say to win her back.

Katie finally emerged from her room Wednesday morning, wearing a nurse's uniform. The second she walked into the kitchen, her mother opened her mouth.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going back to work at the hospital. I need to move on with my life."

"Well, I agree, but don't you think you're moving on too soon?"

"The sooner, the better. I need my mind to be on my work, not him."

Grabbing a banana and a muffin, she sat down at the table to eat. Her mother sat down next to her and continued to question her.

"How are you going to get to the hospital? You have no car."

"Well, can I use yours?"

"I was going to go to the store later."

"Can't you just drop me off and pick me back up later?"

"Yeah, I guess I could."

Katie finished up her muffin and went to the sink to wash her hands. Grabbing the keys on the counter, she handed them to her mother.

"Then we better get going. Otherwise, I'm going to be late for my shift."

Katie's daytime shift went smoothly. To her surprise, things seemed to be quiet in her unit due to the fact that there weren't very many women who were being admitted for labor and delivery. On a typical day, she and her fellow nurses would have anywhere from three to five patients. Today, she only had one. Thus, she had a lot of time in between patients and charts to just sit back and relax.

At seven, her shift was over. After calling her mother for a ride home, she clocked out and chilled out at the nurse's station talking to her fellow co-workers. All was going well until she noticed a figure out of the corner of her eye. As the figure got closer, she immediately realized who it was.

It was Josh.

How the hell did he know she was going to be here?

She stood up and watched as he approached her. The second he was face to face with her, she scowled at him.

"What do you want?"

"We need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about," she softly, yet harshly spoke, trying not to cause a scene in front of everyone. Saying goodbye to her co-workers, she grabbed her purse and headed toward the elevator. Josh followed close behind.

"Please, Katie. Just give me a chance to explain why I did what I did."

"I don't want your excuses, Josh!" She snapped back. "What I want you to do is to leave me the hell alone! By the way, how the hell did you know I was here?"

"Your mom called me."

"She WHAT?"

"She called me a few hours ago."

"That's impossible," Katie responded as she got into the elevator. "How did she get your number?"

"From what she told me, she was cleaning your room and found my number on a pink piece of paper in the trash can."

"Typical," Katie rolled her eyes. "The second my mother sees an opportunity to get involved, she does! She just can't leave things alone!"

"She called me and told me to explain everything to you. She figured that it may help you heal."

"I'm healing fine on my own, thank you very much," Katie spat back. "I don't know who I'm madder at right now: You for being here, or my mother for telling you to be here!"

"Katie, look," Josh gingerly grabbed her hand, but she immediately pulled it back. "I really am sorry about what I did. You didn't deserve to be treated the way I treated you."

"You're damn right I didn't!"

"You had nothing to do with this. It was all me. You weren't the reason I went out and did what I did. I'm taking the blame for all this."

"Well, that's nice," Katie retorted, "but it still won't win me back."

"I know it won't win you back. To be honest, I don't deserve to win you back. All I want is for you to forgive me for what I've done."

"Believe me, it's going to be a LONG time before I ever forgive you."

The elevator doors opened before them, and Katie instantly made a beeline for the front door. All she wanted to do was to get away from Josh.

But Josh followed her outside and grabbed her hand, stopping her in her place.

"Katie, I don't want you to be angry at me. Please. I can't move on knowing that my lies and infidelity ruined your life. I just need to know that you're going to be okay."

Katie bit her lower lip and rolled her eyes. If saying she was okay meant Josh leaving her alone for good, then she was all for it.

"I'm going to be okay," Katie utterly responded, looking Josh dead in the eyes. "This isn't going to kill me. If anything, it's going to make me stronger. Now do me a favor and leave me alone."

Josh nodded and sighed.

"That's all I needed to know."

He turned around and prepared to walk away, but stopped. He spoke one last time, hoping to end the hostility Katie had with him.

"I just hope that one day we can be friends and put this all behind us. But if not, I wish you all the best."

Katie watched as he finally walked away, leaving her in peace. The last thing she wanted to see at the end of the day was Josh paying her a visit at the hospital. But now that it had happened, she was glad it was over. However, she still had one more dilemma to go through, and that was the confrontation she would have with her mother the second she arrived to pick her up.


	10. Chapter 10: Raging Fury

**Chapter Ten: Raging Fury**

"WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?" Katie screamed at her mother as the two traveled home.

"Katie, please," her mother explained. "I thought that maybe you should hear Josh out. I don't think you gave him the opportunity to explain his actions."

"Oh, so you're taking HIS side now?"

"No, I didn't say that," Linda tried as best as she could to retain her composure, but her daughter's screaming wasn't helping much. "What I meant was I don't think that Josh truly meant on hurting you. Why would he throw away everything he had with you?"

"He blamed it on ME, Mom! The first time Patrick and I confronted him about it, he blamed me for straying, saying he couldn't stand my negative self-esteem ."

"Well, he does have a point, especially after my talk with him. You know, he may not be to blame for everything."

"Excuse me?" Katie was appalled by her mother's words.

"What? Like Josh said, you do have negative self-esteem," Linda pointed her opinion out. "I mean, I know you've been hurt by guys before, but for God's sake, quit thinking that there's something wrong with you! You always bring those issues into every new relationship you have. It was only a matter of time before Josh got sick of it like everyone else."

Katie grunted loudly, her left hand clenched into a fist. The least her mother could do was be supportive of her own daughter. But instead, she was making her feel worse.

"So, you're saying he had every right to cheat on me?"

"No. Regardless of what happened in your relationship, he had no right to cheat on you. What I'm saying is that he may have made the right decision on leaving the relationship if he felt as though he couldn't take your incessant self-pity anymore. It probably wore him down to the point that he no longer felt like he should be in the relationship."

Katie felt like punching her mother. It was bad enough that Josh felt that way. It was even worse that her mother felt the same as well. Some kind of mother she was.

"I can't believe you feel that way! I thought you were supportive of me!"

"I am supportive of you!"

"No, you're not! You were pissed off at him at first, but now you're taking HIS side, Mom! You're talking about him as though he's this innocent angel! But he did was not innocent! He broke my heart! And like Patrick said, if he really did love me, he would have stood by me and helped me through it, not turn his back on me!"

"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way, but some people can't handle being around people who constantly have a pity party for themselves. Maybe Josh did try and help you, but because you didn't believe a word he said, he said to hell with it and left because he didn't deserve to be put through that."

The last part of Linda's sentence was a punching blow to Katie's stomach. Josh had said the exact same thing to Patrick. He didn't deserve to be put through what she put him through.

Thank goodness they had finally arrived home because as soon as Linda put the car in park, Katie bolted from the car and into the house. Her father, who was sleeping off his intoxication in his recliner, suddenly woke up the second he heard the front door slam.

"Katie?"

"I don't want to talk about it!"

Bill watched as his daughter ran upstairs and slammed her bedroom door. The second Linda came through the door, he glared at her.

"What did you say to her?"

"I didn't say anything."

"Then why the hell is she so upset?"

Linda remained silent. Bill got up out of his seat and questioned his wife once again.

"What did you do?"

"I called Josh and told him to talk to Katie."

Bill sighed deeply and placed his hands on his hips.

"Damn it, Linda! Why the hell would you do that for? She was doing just fine until you decided to butt in and fuck it all up!"

"Oh, be quiet and take your drunken ass back to sleep!"

Meanwhile, Katie was upstairs in her bedroom, trying everything she could to keep herself from venting any more. Instead, the screaming match between her parents only escalated the anger. Feeling as through she was about to blow and unleash all hell, she grabbed her phone and called Patrick. His phone rang six times before his answering machine came on.

"Hey, this is Patrick, aka Alex Shelley, aka Detroit's finest ass kicker. If I'm not answering the phone, then leave a message and I'll get back to you, depending on how important you are to me."

"Damn it!" Katie threw her phone down on her bed. Slowly, she was losing her mind. She couldn't take one more second of all the drama that was currently presenting itself. Needing to escape, she changed, grabbed her jacket, went downstairs, and walked out the house without her parents even noticing she was leaving. She needed to clear her head. The only thing for her to do was just take a walk and try to calm her anger, although she knew the only thing that could help her the best was Patrick being there to see her through.

But she had to make due without him.


	11. Chapter 11: Saved

Sorry again for the lack of updates, guys. My life was put on hold recently due to the death of my mother two weeks ago. Today was the first free day I had to update, so I hope you guys enjoy! And keep the comments coming, too!

**Chapter Eleven: Saved**

It was a long walk to the park, but Katie didn't mind one bit. The further away she walked from home, the more calm she felt.

A rumble of thunder was heard in the distance. Storm clouds were slowly moving in. Perhaps she should turn around and go home before it began to rain. As much as she wanted to go back and keep from getting soaked, her legs continued onward.

She was surprised to realize that there were no cars buzzing by. The streets were empty. From the time she left the house until now, not a car was seen by her eyes.

She was just a mile from the park when she finally heard the motor of a car behind her. Instead of the vehicle zooming past her, it slowed down when it reached her. A honk of the horn startled her enough for her to look back and see who it was.

The car stopped next to her, and the passenger window rolled down.

"Need a ride?"

Katie smiled when she realized who it was.

It was Patrick.

She climbed into his truck and closed the door. Looking at Patrick, she noticed that he had a concerned look on his face.

"What?"

"I was worried sick about you," he softly answered. "I noticed that you called my cell phone. I called your house, and your dad answered. He said that he noticed you walk out, but didn't know where you went. That's when I got into my truck and decided to come out and look for you."

"I had to get out of the house," Katie explained. "I got into a huge argument with my mom."

"I know," Patrick nodded as he began to drive off. "Your dad told me everything. So, where you heading to?"

"The park. I figured it would be the nicest place to kind of unwind and relax."

"I see. You mind if I tag along?"

"Not at all."

"Well then, let's go. A storm's moving in. I don't want to get there a moment too late and end up getting rained on."

"I don't know how much longer I can stay there," Katie explained as she and Patrick sat on the swings. "I mean, I know that my mom cares about me, but the way she's going around it makes me feel as though she doesn't."

"I would invite you to stay with me," Patrick spoke, "but I don't have my own place yet. I'm crashing with my parents for now."

"I understand," Katie dimly smiled. "I don't want to be a bother."

"Katie, you're never a bother," Patrick spoke with empathy, leaning over to place his hand on her shoulder. "You know that if there is anything you need, I'm here. I'm never going to turn my back on you. You're like a sister to me. I could never do that."

A brief silence fell among the two. Katie began swinging, as Patrick just sat there watching her. Finally, he let out a sigh and spoke.

"You know, when I do get my own place, you are more than welcome to stay."

"I know, Patrick," Katie smiled. "I'm welcome to come and go as I please."

"That's not what I mean," Patrick responded. "What I mean is, you can move in with me. I'd much rather you live with me than with your parents. At least you won't have as much strain on your life staying with me."

"Thanks, Patrick," Katie smiled at him as she stopped swinging. "That means a lot."

Katie felt several drops of rain begin to fall on her. Patrick got up and helped her off the swing.

"I guess we should get going before it begins to downpour, huh?"

They got back into the truck just in time before the rain picked up. Katie put on her seat belt and sighed deeply.

"I hate going back to the house," she said. "I wish I had some more time to myself before I go back."

Patrick looked over at her and nodded before he bit his lower lip and dropped his head. His furrowed brows told Katie that he was thinking of something. Finally, he brought his head back up and spoke.

"You know, I've met your parents, but you haven't met mine. If you want to stay out longer, how about I take you back to my house to meet my folks?"

"That sounds nice," Katie took him up on his offer. Patrick nodded at her answer and pulled out of the parking lot. As he took off, Katie couldn't help but ask him one question.

"So, what are your parents like?"

"You'll love them," he chuckled. "Believe me. Just wait and see."


	12. Chapter 12: Something Unexpected

**Chapter Twelve: Something Unexpected**

Just like Patrick had said, Katie did indeed fall in love with his parents the second she started talking to them. His mom was a sweetheart, listening to her plight and giving some words of advice to her without judging her. His dad was just like Patrick, witty and full of hilarity. She even got a chance to meet his brother and sister as well. At the end of the night, it was evident why Patrick loved his family so much. They were as close-knit as could be.

As they crashed in his room, Patrick looked over at Katie and smiled.

"So, what do you think?"

"I love them!" She chuckled. "You have a great family, Patrick. And I can see where you get your insanity from."

"Oh, yeah. My dad," he laughed along. "He's just as crazy as I am. Leave it to him to give me that gene."

Katie sighed and leaned back against the headboard. She still didn't want to go back home. She would rather be with Patrick's family than be with her own family, as sad as that was. Apparently, Patrick felt her sentiment and spoke.

"You want to spend the night here?"

"What?"

"I know you don't want to go home," he pointed out. "Maybe it's best if you spent a night away from them and just stayed with me and my family. Is that okay?"

"Only if it's okay with you."

"I wouldn't want it any other way, Katie."

Katie smiled at the tone of his voice. Soft, caring, and thoughtful. There was no doubt in her mind that he just wanted to make her happy and do what he thought was best for her.

"Okay," she smiled. "I'd like that."

"Here," Patrick handed her his cell phone. "You better call them and let them know so they don't worry."

As Katie made her call, he went downstairs to alert his family that she was going to stay the night. Afterward, he went back up into his room as she was finishing up the conversation with her mom.

"No, I'm off work tomorrow. I'll be back home, mom. Don't worry. Okay. I will. Bye."

"So, are they okay with it?" Patrick asked as he sat back down next to her.

"Yeah," Katie smiled. "It's cool. As long as they know I'm safe."

"Well, unfortunately, we don't have a spare bedroom, so you're going to have to crash with me tonight."

"No, I can sleep on the couch," Katie spoke.

"You're not sleeping on the couch," Patrick shook his head as he went to his closet for some extra blankets. "You're sleeping in my bed, and I'm sleeping on the floor."

"Don't sleep on the floor. This is your bed. You sleep here."

"No," Patrick stopped her as he placed the blankets on the bed. "You need the bed more than I do."

"I hate to see you sleep on the floor," Katie admitted. "With your back problems, it probably won't be good for you."

"I'll be alright."

"No, Patrick, sleep in your bed, I insist," Adrienne got up and stopped him from making his bed on the floor.

"Katie, I'm fine. You need the bed. I don't."

"Yes you do."

"Katie, don't argue with me."

"I'm not arguing with you. I'm telling you. I'd feel better if you slept in your own bed."

"Well, I'd feel better if you slept in my bed and I sleep on the floor. Katie, please."

"Patrick, please. Just listen to me for one…"

The dispute ended when out of nowhere, Katie felt Patrick's lips lightly brush against hers. She stood dumbfounded as he pulled back and smiled at her.

"I knew that'd shut you up. You, in my bed. Me, on the floor. End of story."

Katie didn't know what came over her, but to her surprise, she found herself lean into him and kiss him back. Several seconds later, she pulled back, but as soon as she did, Patrick pulled her back in. His hands met her face as he planted soft, delicate kisses on her lips. She returned the favor before finally pulling back and speaking.

"I'm sorry, Patrick."

"No, I'm sorry," he lightly chuckled. "That was my fault. So, what are we going to do about the sleeping arrangements?"

"Well," Katie bit her lower lip as she spoke, "I guess it wouldn't hurt if we shared the bed."

Patrick smiled.

"I guess not."

With that, they both got into bed. Turning out her light, Katie turned to Patrick and spoke.

"By the way, I snore. So don't be alarmed if you hear me doing so."

"I won't hold it against you. After all, I snore as well. But anyway, you better get some sleep."

Katie nodded and smiled at him before turning over and going to sleep.

With the click of his lamp, the room became dark. Katie sighed deeply and tried to get her brain settled for sleep. As she did, she felt Patrick turn in bed and suddenly scoot over to her side. She held her breath as he unexpectedly wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on top of her head.

"Goodnight, Katie."

Katie smiled as she quickly felt herself go to sleep.

"Night, Patrick."


End file.
